The present invention relates to an image print apparatus, direct print system and print setting method.
WO2004/021164 discloses a configuration that a computer and a printer are connected together by a USB cable. The computer outputs print conditions for printing a selected image by form print data selected out of plural sets of form print data. Under the print conditions, designation is possible as to paper size, paper type and so on. Meanwhile, the computer takes control of the range of form print data selectable in accordance with the printer's print capability previously acquired. This can prevent the designation of print conditions which are not allowed for printing of the printer.
As described above, in the related print system disclosed in WO2004/021164, the range of computer-selectable form print data is controlled in accordance with the printer's print capability previously acquired, thereby enabling to prevent the designation of print conditions which are not allowed for printing of the printer.
Besides those having a computer and a printer connected by a USB cable, there exists a system that a DSC (digital still camera) and a printer are connected directly by a USB cable so that the printer can print an image selected by the DSC. Such a system is called a direct print system.
Even on the direct print system, the DSC should designate a print setting to the printer in order for the printer to print an image the DSC selected. However, the DSC does not possess sufficient resources as the computer has. The DSC is lower in computer processing capability as compared to the computer. Moreover, it does not have a sufficient storage area. Meanwhile, the DSC merely has a small-sized liquid-crystal monitor and a less number of input devices. Accordingly, there is a difficulty for the DSC in storing a plurality of ones of form print data and taking control of a range of form print data selectable in accordance with printer's print capability, differently from the computer in Patent Document 1.
Consequently, it can be considered in the direct print system that settable values as to set items are transmitted from the printer to the DSC thus prompting to select a set value therefrom so that the DSC can generate a print-setting instruction which is allowed for printing of the printer whereby the printer is allowed to print the DSC-selected image according to the print settings generated.
However, even in case a print-setting instruction is generated by thus sending settable values from the printer to the DSC and prompting to select a set value therefrom, there are cases the printer is not allowed to print on a certain combination of set values in plurality. For example, on a printer compatible with paper sizes of L-size and A4-size but adapted for printing on the L-size paper only at a photographic-image quality, when a print-setting instruction with designations of L-size and plain paper is generated at the DSC, the printer is not allowed to perform a printing according to the print-setting instruction.